


not all treasure is silver and gold

by squishyserpent



Series: not all treasure is silver and gold [1]
Category: BLACKPINK (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirates of the Caribbean Fusion, F/F, Inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean, The Black Pearl (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-02-26 21:26:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18725308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squishyserpent/pseuds/squishyserpent
Summary: Park Chaeyoung is the daughter of the affluent governor of Port Royal. She has lived her life by the rules and terms of others, and she has had enough. When Lalisa Manoban, the rambunctious, intriguing, and attractive captain of the Black Pearl, comes into her life, she allows herself to be caught in her waves.





	1. the girl with a mind

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to start this series up a few months ago, but I deleted it rather quickly because I wasn't satisfied with it. I want this to be the best version it can be, so I rewrote and added some parts. I'm excited for this series, and I hope you enjoy it! Please share it with your friends if you enjoy, and leave a comment!

“Perfect. That is how your life will be, and that is how it is meant to be.”

Chaeyoung had heard that word countless times, reaching such a frequency that she would feel a twist in her stomach each time it crossed her ears. The word had been used to describe every aspect about her. Her future. Her perfectly soft brown eyes, the way her hair spilled down to the middle of her back in such a perfect way, the pure and perfect fact that she was the governor’s daughter. It would be perfect, in her opinion, if she never heard the word again.

Her tutor had said that to her on an excruciatingly humid day, the words leaving her tight, sweaty, pale mouth in a quick and dry manner. The palm trees were swaying listlessly in the constant Caribbean breeze. Her studies, something she tended to pride herself in completing with effort and vigor, bored her that day.

She had put her chin on her small, 10 year-old wrist, stopped practicing arithmetic, and casually asked what her life would be like. She knew she was the governor’s daughter, something everyone she met mentioned and repeated, as if it was medicine she had to swallow or a definition she had to memorize.

She decided not to ask her tutor about her future anymore.

Chaeyoung chose to ask her tutor about other things. At the age of 12, she asked her tutor why she needed to study if her main goal was to find a rich suitor to bolster her family name. She enjoyed studying, she quickly added, she was just curious.

Her tutor removed her glasses from her gray eyes and pointy nose, and glanced at her with a look she gave her often. A look mixed with pity, sympathy, and emptiness.

“A wife is expected to be intelligent, to be on par with her husband, of course.” The tutor replied, sounding uninterested as she returned to leafing through a novel.

Chaeyoung nodded, mainly to herself, and completed the rest of her equations in silence.

~

Chaeyoung had been born into a life of silk. Silk curtains, silk sheets, silk dresses. Chaeyoung wasn’t much interested in silk, though her father was constantly doting her with the fabric; her real interest was the sea. One positive thing about being the governor’s daughter in Port Royal, a wealthy Caribbean island owned by Great Britain, was that it provided a fantastic view of it.  
While Chaeyoung lay in bed at night, scrounging her books for knowledge, she’d find herself putting her books down to stare and listen to the sea. Palm trees whistling along with the calming lull of the waves. It captivated her, it’s mysteries and adventures calling to her from her locked window.

Chaeyoung consistently read, feverishly; something in her brain chanting to learn more, about anything.

Chaeyoung needed an escape from bland school lessons, and reading was an extremely convenient way to do that. Rather than having to focus on dull subjects like arithmetic, she could sink into a world where she didn’t have to worry about how to dress or how to act.

Chaeyoung read books about anything she could find, and when she came across fairy-tales and stories about princesses, they came off to her as weak and narcissistic. Chaeyoung constantly asked her father when she was little if she was like those princesses in her stories. Her father always insisted she was the exact opposite while patting her head; she was the strongest girl she knew, and the sweetest, (“You did cry for two days when that bird accidentally flew into your window when you were seven!”).

Chaeyoung wanted to bring up there weren’t many other girls in their manor besides the maids to contest with that, but she did not.

Rather than being a prim and proper maiden, something everyone in her life encouraged, Chaeyoung had a secret desire. To become a pirate; she had read about them ever since she heard one of her maids talking about a pirate raid miles away from Port Royal. The danger and freedom they handled with ease excited her, letting her envision a world so different from her own. Pirates were a subject of taboo in Port Royal; at least in Chaeyoung’s manor.

Stories and pamphlets about pirates weren’t enough for her, she needed to experience it first hand. The spray of the sea, the burn of the ropes hanging on a ship, the rock of the waves. But being the daughter of a governor, living in a sheltered life, this just wasn’t possible. Chaeyoung kept her dreams of adventure close to her chest, knowing it would break her father’s heart.

As she grew older, she felt these dreams slowly fade, until she heard a certain rumor. When she was nine years old, she was outside of her manor while her father was away. He was attending a meeting with other governors of the islands surrounding Port Royal, when she heard a conversation that made her ears perk.

She was brushing sand off of her dress, which had gathered in the folds of it while she was drawing the shoreline, when she heard the gardeners speaking in hushed tones.

“Did you hear about Lalisa Manoban?” One of the gardeners asked, clipping the hedges cautiously.

“You mean, the pirate’s daughter?” The other gardener replied uneasily, earning a nod from the other.

“She’s practically the same age as Chaeyoung...and she assisted her father’s crew in three raids against British naval ships! I’ve heard she’s deadly with a sword, especially for her age. It wasn’t too far off from Port Royal, the raids were at the island of Tortuga.”

“Tortuga? Well, that doesn’t surprise me, that place is completely void of people with a sense of manners and decency. Almost everyone there is a pirate.”

Chaeyoung felt her ears burn at the mention of her name. Interest and curiosity swarmed her senses, and she wanted to know more. She had never heard about this infamous Lalisa. Chaeyoung assumed she must be a big deal if these gardeners dared to speak about her in a place where pirates were naturally discouraged. Chaeyoung’s father felt the subject would be a bad influence on his impressionable daughter.

Chaeyoung stepped forward to hear more, but a palm tree leaf crunched under her shoe. The noise caused the gardeners to notice her, who quickly ended their conversation and gave her a respectful bow.

Chaeyoung sighed and bowed back, knowing that was the most she’d hear from them. Pirates were not an easy thing to talk about, since the punishment for piracy in Port Royal was almost always a hanging. The noose kept rumors about pirates locked behind closed lips.

If this Lalisa could be a pirate, she was determined to be one as well. Her far-off whims she imagined when she was younger were now at the forefront of her mind. She scoured through every book and document about pirates that night, searching for anything about Lalisa, but she could not find anything. She was a mystery.

Chaeyoung drew a picture of a pirate, this time with long hair rather than a beard, which was what the pirates in books normally had, and wrote Lisa’s name above the figure. She could never draw Lisa’s face, but she always made sure to draw her sword pointing to the horizon, freedom stretching before her as vast and wide as the sea. Chaeyoung could only wish she could live this way behind the walls of her manor, which once seemed so big, but now it appeared to her as suffocatingly small.  
~

When Chaeyoung was ten, she made her first best friend. Living as the governor’s daughter in Port Royal, a place where rich folk that would meet her father’s standards was few and far between, set limits on her opportunities to make friends.

One fateful and particularly rainy day in April, Chaeyoung’s maid, and probably her closest confidant for all her life, Yoon Hye, came into her room while she was practicing her cursive. A girl with dark eyes and brown hair stood in front of her, studying Chaeyoung and her room with a guarded expression.

Chaeyoung couldn’t tell what she was thinking behind those brown eyes, but she took it as a challenge; she had never had a friend close to her age, and was determined to have one. And besides, this girl seemed interesting; she was quiet, but Chaeyoung found this intriguing.  
“Chaeyoung, this is Kim Jennie, she’s going to be working here with me. She’s only a year older than you, so I thought I could introduce her so you could make a new friend.”

Chaeyoung stood from her desk and gave her brightest smile, and bowed.

“Nice to meet you.”

Yoon Hye smiled and closed the door behind her.

Jennie studied the room some more and looked to Chaeyoung. A few beats passed. Chaeyoung nervously maintained her bow, afraid to look up at the girl.

“You don’t have to bow so much, your back might start to hurt.” Jennie said, a nervous look in her eyes.

Chaeyoung let that sink in. She felt her lip tremble, and a laugh burst from her, loudly resonating throughout the room. She straightened up and clapped a hand over her mouth, laughing still. Jennie jumped, and eased into a smile after a moment. Her guarded look thawed.

“I didn’t mean for that to be a joke,” Jennie stated, her gummy smile showing due to Chaeyoung’s contagious laugh, who was finally catching her breath.

“It’s just...no one’s really said that to me before. Bowing always does hurt my back.” Chaeyoung said, gesturing to her back.

Another beat passed, both of them staring at each other, wondering, sizing each other up in their minds.

“You aren’t what I was expecting.” Jennie said, surprising Chaeyoung yet again.

Chaeyoung looked down at her feet this time.

“You probably expected me to be...prim and proper right? Since I’m the governor’s daughter?” Chaeyoung guessed, earning her a nod from Jennie.

“Yeah….I’ve read a lot about princesses and stories like that, and they do act stuck-up. They let everything go straight to their heads, you know? And they always need a man to do everything! I don’t think I’m like that...and I don’t want to become anything like that.” Chaeyoung bit her lip to keep herself from rambling any more.

Instead of looking bored, which was what normally happened with other people when they heard Chaeyoung gush and go on a tangent about books and her hobbies, Jennie looked interested.

“You like to read?” Jennie asked, curiosity covering her disbelief. It was Chaeyoung who nodded this time.  
“I like to read too, but no one else in Port Royal really does. I just read some of my mother’s old books, if she has any. I guess I should have noticed you did. I assumed they were all school-books.”

Jennie said, now staring at the books littering Chaeyoung’s floor and shelves.

“I do like to read, and play the guitar and draw, but that’s besides the point. I have a lot of books here, do you...want to borrow one?” Chaeyoung asked.

Jennie narrowed her eyes cautiously again.

“You’re not...taking pity on me, right? I am your maid.” Jennie stated, gesturing to her uniform.  
Chaeyoung vigorously shook her head.

“Oh no! I mean, that’s not it at all. I just think you’re really interesting and…” Chaeyoung stopped, mostly due to embarrassment. Jennie nodded, accepting the answer.

The two girls stared at each other again, unaware but completely aware at the same time of the friendship growing between them. The rain thundered against the roof.  
~  
Chaeyoung found herself waking up earlier, looking forward to seeing Jennie come in with her duster and cleaning supplies. Jennie would give her a gummy smile and they would ramble on forever and ever about useless things. Chaeyoung showed Jennie her drawings and sang a few songs on her guitar, at first bashfully and sheepishly, but after less than two weeks she wasn’t afraid to be herself around Jennie.

Jennie was surprisingly easy to be with, she wasn’t judgemental of her. And Chaeyoung wasn’t judgemental of her, either, despite Jennie’s occupation and her family’s economic struggles. Chaeyoung didn’t have to put on an act of elegance, which was what she had to do if her father brought company, normally rich heirs with their prim, well-groomed children.

Jennie did come across as almost introverted at first, but she opened up to Chaeyoung once they got to know each other better. Whenever Jennie was assigned to a different job in Chaeyoung’s manor,

Chaeyoung would search all over for her. She’d run outside, despite the tropical and humid weather, and put a hand over her eyes, scanning for her. Yoon Hye would normally direct her to Jennie, knowing how dear she was to her.

When they were ten and long after that, they always played out by the ocean. Chaeyoung’s favorite game was when they pretended to be pirates.

Chaeyoung first suggested the game when Chaeyoung had finished her schoolwork and Jennie had finished her household work, cautiously, since the sensitive topic of pirates wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

“You’re interested in pirates?” Jennie asked, staring at the sea.

“I’ve always been interested in them, I’ve dreamt about being one all my life.” Chaeyoung confessed after a pause.

“Do you think it’s foolish of me to dream about being a pirate?” Chaeyoung asked, hesitantly.  
Jennie grabbed a fistful of sand and let the grains fall through her knuckle.

“No, I don’t think it’s foolish.”

“You don’t? Why not?”

“It’s not foolish at all; I don’t think there’s anything you can’t be Chaeyoung. And if being a pirate is what you want, then I know you can do it.” Jennie looked at the ocean after she said this, feeling bashful.

“That was too much, huh?”

Chaeyoung smiled and shook her head.

“No, that was just enough.”  
~  
Chaeyoung brushed her hair in the mirror with her fingers, a nervous habit. Jennie caught the action with her alert brown eyes.

“Are you worried about how you look?” Jennie asked, rummaging through the drawers of Chaeyoung’s dresser to find more makeup.

Chaeyoung laughed nervously, waving off the makeup Jennie pulled out gratefully.

“I hardly worry about my looks anymore. I have you for that.” Chaeyoung teased, brushing her dark brown strands from her eyes, smiling as Jennie jokingly rolled her eyes.

This party was important, she internalized, much more important than any other party her father brought her to. Her father said she was to meet the “perfect” suitor he had found for her, and she was able to feign excitement in front of him, but not Jennie.

“I’ve worried about this all my life, Jennie. I pushed it out of my mind, pretending it would never happen. But now my father has found a suitor, and I can’t dismiss them anymore.” Chaeyoung blurted out, not embarrassed in the slightest, considering Jennie had heard her vent her worries in this manner before.

Jennie stood behind Chaeyoung and hugged her back, feeling her friend’s anxieties as if they were her own. The action was enough to make Chaeyoung’s pounding heart calm. Chaeyoung let herself relax and stroked Jennie’s hand in thanks. Jennie released her after a moment and brushed the dust off of her maid’s uniform, tucking a dark strand of hair behind her ear and handing Chaeyoung the shoes that her father purchased for her. The shoes were tight and white, with less than 3 inches of heel, just enough to not be flamboyant.

Jennie held out her hand, mocking the formality of a suitor, causing Chaeyoung to giggle. Chaeyoung bowed and took her hand with the fluid grace that years of tutoring and practice had instilled in her. Jennie led Chaeyoung to the carriage waiting for her, her father sitting inside. Chaeyoung waved goodbye to Jennie and stepped inside the carriage. The carriage bumped along the sand, and Jennie sat on the marble steps of Chaeyoung’s mansion, chin in her hand.  
~  
Chaeyoung flopped into the carriage, kicking off her shoes. She looked up and nearly jumped out of her dress when she saw Jennie sitting in the seat adjacent to her.

“Jennie! I wasn’t expecting you to be here.” Chaeyoung gasped, holding a hand to her chest as the carriage began its journey back to her home.

“Your father let me come along.” Jennie replied. “I didn’t want you to be lonely.” Jennie added.

Chaeyoung gave her a grateful smile, pressing her head against the cool glass of the window. The carriage bustled along, occasionally crunching some fallen palm leaves. Chaeyoung’s smile melted away, something that didn’t slip past Jennie.

“I’m assuming the party was not very enjoyable?” Jennie asked, folding her hands and waiting for Chaeyoung to explain.

“Your assumption is correct. It was very unenjoyable.” Chaeyoung sighed, sinking into the leather of the carriage a bit more.

“The suitor my father introduced me to was a man named Jeon Jungkook. He was a nice man; shy and not bad looking either. We talked throughout the whole party, and I enjoyed his company. But I just…” Chaeyoung lifted her hands in the air, letting them fall as she blew out her cheeks.

She was unable to explain what she felt.

“You didn’t feel attracted to him.” Jennie finished for her, tentatively.

Chaeyoung bit her lip and nodded. Chaeyoung couldn’t hide the truth from Jennie; she was her best friend and deserved nothing less than that.

“No matter how many men I meet, no matter how their appearance or wealth, I just don’t care about any of them. I can’t pretend anymore; it’s exhausting. Pretending isn’t fair to me, or to the men I meet, or to my father. I can never tell my father about this. I can’t bear his disappointment, or his shame.” Chaeyoung admitted in a small voice, feeling her vision blur as tears threatened to fall.

Jennie reached out her hand to Chaeyoung’s, letting Chaeyoung’s tears fall.

“You can’t control this, Chaeyoung. This is not your fault.” Jennie said, her tone serious as she stared into Chaeyoung’s eyes.

Chaeyoung nodded and wiped her eyes.

“I personally don’t view this as a bad thing.” Jennie added reassuringly.

“My father will.” Chaeyoung mumbled, her eyes glued to the window.

Jennie continued to hold her hand, saying nothing as the carriage moved onward.


	2. the girl with a ship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to meet Lisa! I have a lot planned for her ;)

The wind licked and lapped at the sails of the Black Pearl, emitting a flapping sound that comforted Lisa as she leaned against its mast. The sea foamed and bobbed against the jet black wood of the Black Pearl, slapping and hissing. The sea was alive, and it was at moments like this Lisa felt the most alive as well. It was if she was in complete synchronization with the sea, her mood mirroring its state and vice versa. Lisa pressed her hand to her face, pondering what she was planning for the following weeks.

Jisoo put her hands on her shoulders, yelling “Boo!”, shaking Lisa out of her thoughts. Lisa jolted and laughed, bending her head, her light hair blowing in the wind beneath her black captain’s hat.   
  
“You’ve been brooding for a while.” Jisoo said as she leaned against the mast with Lisa, pouting her lips in the same fashion she was. “I wanted to see how you were doing.”   
  
“I’m perfectly fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” Lisa laughed, knowing how unconvincing she sounded.

“Well, considering what we’ve planned for the next few weeks, I wouldn’t expect you to be jovial.” Jisoo replied, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“I have to do this. For my father, for my mother, for myself.” Lisa sighed, breathing in the ocean air to clear her mind and thoughts.

“I know you do. And I will support you every step of the way. But I would rather this ordeal end without blood being spilled.” Jisoo stared at the horizon, the orange sun dipping low beneath the waves.

They both said nothing, speaking in silence.

 

~

 

 _“I want you to stay in the cabin, do you understand?”_   
_  
_Lisa looked up at her father, sword in hand, hat covering his brow, a warm smile reserved only for her on his face. She could tell that this smile was unlike the countless others he gave her. This one was strained, worried. She kept a brave face as well, sensing that whatever he was planning to do was important.

_“I understand. Will you be back, papa?” Lisa asked, laying against the cot in the cabin of her father’s ship, the Black Pearl._

_“Of course I will. I want you to stay here, though. And Lalisa, just in case I don’t come back, a few of the crew members are staying back, and they will watch you and care for you.” Her father said in a soft voice, tousling her hair._

_Lisa nodded, and tried to ignore the unsettling implication that her father might not return. He gave her a winning smile, and turned as he began to walk up the wooden stairs to the upper deck._

_“Papa! I love you.” Lisa called, her tone rising with urgency and building fear._

_He looked back from the top of the staircase, and called back words that would echo through her mind for the rest of her life._

_“I love you, my little starfish.”_

_And with that, akin to wandering smoke from a cannon, he was gone._

_~_

 

Lisa rose from her pillow, gasping as if she had just had a nightmare. Nightmares hurt less than these flashbacks, or as she liked to refer to them, “terrors of the past”. Her eyes stung with tears, and she swore she could still feel the dampness of the cabin air as she waited for her father to return.

Lisa exhaled and rubbed her eyes ferociously, annoyed with how emotional she was lately. It was inevitable, she thought, considering she was returning to Port Royal to avenge her father, but how could she when she kept getting hit with these memories?

Lisa glanced out the window beside her bed. The sky was light and pink, indicating another calm day at sea. Lisa knew that they would reach Port Royal soon.

Lisa changed out of her bed clothes and into her trademark hat, draping coat, and leather boots, splashing water on her face and heading up to the upper deck. Her crewmates were already up, something she always appreciated, tending to the sails and cleaning.

“Good morning, Lisa!” Sooyoung, or Joy, as the crew affectionately called her, chirped as she painted the chipping boards adjacent to the mast.

“Good morning, Joy! Good day for sailing, eh?” Lisa replied, pausing and drinking in her smile, gaining some strength.

“Every day is a good day for sailing when you’re on the Black Pearl.” Joy replied with a laugh, returning to her work.

Lisa nodded, smiling now, and headed to the wheel, where Jisoo was waiting.   
  
“We’ll be in Port Royal by dawn tomorrow. Are you ready?” Jisoo asked.

“I’ve been preparing myself for this all my life, Jisoo.” Lisa replied in a reassuring tone. “The only thing I have to fear is my mind, and nothing else.”

Jisoo nodded. She knew Lisa was easily tormented by the past and her own thoughts, something that could not be controlled, or ignored. She knew Lisa could do this, and she had faith in herself and the crew as well.   
  
“Let’s go over the plan, one more time.” Lisa said after a moment, earning an eye roll from Jisoo. Jisoo knew their plan so well, she could write it on her wrist. But she allowed Lisa to repeat it, mainly for Lisa’s sake.

“We arrive at Port Royal, we walk around and see how many guards there are surrounding the governor’s manor, and at nightfall we head in, you and I, while everyone else stays back and guards the ship and buys supplies from the market. The governor will be home, as there are no formals for this week. We only kill him, and we only kill anyone else when its necessary. Absolutely necessary.” Lisa recited the whole plan, with a tone of importance.

The plan seemed simple, but she had been calculating it ever since she heard the gunshot that killed her father. She knew what she had to do.

Jisoo gave her a thumbs up. “Sounds about right to me!”

Lisa smiled.

“What did I do to get a great friend like you?” Lisa asked, putting her head on Jisoo’s shoulder, nudging the wheel with her finger.

“I don’t know. Something right, I suppose.” Jisoo replied with a laugh, tousling Lisa’s hair.

The action reminded Lisa of her father, but she pushed it away.

Lisa kept her eyes to the horizon for the rest of the day.   
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Chae and Lisa meet next chapter? (Yes, of course they will.) I’ll be pumping these out as quick as I can, so don’t you worry! Leave a comment and kudos if you enjoyed it!


	3. the girl with a dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! Here comes the spice!

Two days after the ball, Chaeyoung was outside the manor, reading beneath a palm tree. She wasn’t really reading, just listlessly flipping pages and glancing at the words. Her mind was elsewhere.

“Chaeyoung?”   
  
Chaeyoung turned to her father, who was standing in the sand with a smile, concern washing in his dark irises. She smiled back at her father, happy to see him, anxious to hear what he had to say. Unfortunately, she had a sense of what he was going to tell her.

“I have something to discuss with you.” The governor sighed, slowly moving his arthritis-ridden joints onto the bench beside her.

“Does it have something to do with finding a suitor?” Chaeyoung asked, her voice small.

The governor nodded, giving her a small smile.

“I understand your resistance, Chaeyoung. Finding a suitor isn’t your main priority, and I, if I’m honest, pride myself in the fact that you don’t throw yourself onto any man or act like someone you aren’t to please one. But, realistically speaking, a suitor still must be found.” The governor smiled at his daughter, saddened at the fate reality had in store for her.

He could sense her lack of enthusiasm towards suitors, and he could see the dread that filled her eyes whenever the subject was mentioned, but it had to be done.

Chaeyoung nodded, closing her book. There was nothing left to say. She had to get a suitor in order to survive after her father passes. If she failed to do so, the family name would crumble, and so would her own life.

“I understand, father. That...that is the way things are.” Chaeyoung replied quietly, giving him a small smile after she regained her voice.

The governor put his arm around his daughter, who rested her head on his shoulder. 

“I’m doing this because I love you. Can you see through my wickedness?” The governor asked after a moment, turning to her.

Chaeyoung gave him a reassuring look.   
  
“I don’t see you as wicked, father. You’re far from it.” Chaeyoung paused. “I simply see the world as wicked.”

The governor frowned.   
  
“I wish we lived in a world that wouldn’t teach you to think that way.” The governor sighed, scrunching his graying eyebrows as he squinted at the sunlight filtering through the palms. His wrinkles glinted in the sun.

“Me too.” Chaeyoung agreed, putting her head back on his shoulder.

They sat and stared at the sea stretching beyond their property. Chaeyoung kept her eyes on the horizon, glimmering with promise and lands she couldn’t comprehend. Perhaps, she thought, there would be a place she could be free.

The ocean drank in the sunlight, drenched in it and its own wetness. It danced and played about, teasing Chaeyoung. Urging her to fall into the water and sink to the bottom. As Chaeyoung stared, she felt something change within her. Her mind was buzzing as it formulated a plan. She glanced at her father, absorbing the details of his face. After she went through with her plan, she wouldn’t be seeing him anymore.

~

Jennie came into Chaeyoung’s room, holding a bucket filled with water for her mop.

“Chaeyoung, I’m here to clean…” Jennie began, stopping abruptly as she absorbed what lay before her.

Chaeyoung was knelt on the ground, the folds of her navy blue dress beneath her knees, packing a thick suitcase that once belonged to her mother. She was skilled with folding, but terrible at lying. Jennie closed the door.

“I’m guessing this isn’t a planned excursion.” Jennie stated after a moment, putting down her mop and sitting on one of Chaeyoung’s chairs.

Chaeyoung felt guilt wash over her.

“Jennie, I…” Chaeyoung started to explain, but the sad, knowing look in Jennie’s eyes stopped her. She knew what she was doing.

“When do you plan on leaving?” Jennie asked in an empty voice, her furrowed eyebrows knitting together further.

“Tonight.” Chaeyoung admitted, looking at the floor.

“I won’t stop you.” Jennie said, moving towards Chaeyoung and kneeling down.

Jennie put her hand under Chaeyoung’s chin, gently urging her to look at her.

“Don’t worry about me. You deserve freedom.” Jennie said firmly, giving her a small smile. 

Chaeyoung’s eyes filled with a ferocious certainty. Her eyebrows scrunched. This was a habit whenever Chaeyoung believed strongly in something, Jennie silently noted. She grabbed Jennie’s hands and shook them.

”You deserve freedom just as much. I can’t leave you.” Chaeyoung stayed, passion rising in her. 

“Jennie, come with me.” Chaeyoung implored, her plea softly swirling in the humid air.

“I can’t. You know that. How else can my parents survive, without my salary?” Jennie replied with an tone of finality.

“I can handle that. I’ll write my father a note, set aside the funds I have, and urge him to give them to your parents monthly as he does now. If he doesn’t, I’ll go to the bank and tell them to send your family money directly. Please come with me, Jennie. I can’t do this alone.” Chaeyoung pleaded, closing her suitcase.

“Even if that could work, what do you plan on doing?” Jennie countered calmly.   
  
Chaeyoung exhaled.   
  
“There are ships that come in daily at the market on the docks. I plan on boarding one of them and going wherever it goes.” Chaeyoung said after a pause, realizing how stupid she must sound.

Jennie pondered that for a moment.

“Why?”

“I need to. I have to. I can’t stay here anymore. I can feel the shackles on my feet holding me down. The future isn’t so far away anymore; it’s here. It’s here and I can’t escape it sitting like a duck.” Chaeyoung explained, feeling her chest tighten.

Chaeyoung rubbed a hand over her face, exhaling.

Jennie stood and dusted the wooden surfaces in Chaeyoung’s room. She was thinking, and Chaeyoung knew better than to interrupt her thinking.

“I’ll come with you, as long as my family will be alright.” Jennie said decidedly, a smile growing on her features.

Chaeyoung smiled.

~

As day melted into night, Chaeyoung and Jennie slid about the mansion silently, attempting to make their escape without a trace. Chaeyoung stood in front, holding out an arm to Jennie when the coast was clear.

Chaeyoung tiptoed down the marble stairs, the sunset filtering through her dark hair. The sunset fell as the skies darkened, and Chaeyoung, the stress of her life already dissipating, couldn’t help but giggle as they snuck around the mansion.

“This reminds me of when we pretended to be pirates as kids, do you remember?” Chaeyoung whispered, covering her mouth with her hand to conceal her laughter.

Jennie smiled and nodded, reminiscing.

“Let’s go.” Chaeyoung gestured to the front gate, a small checkpoint to their freedom.

Jennie and Chaeyoung half shuffled, half ran, each carrying a suitcase. Chaeyoung tossed a look back at the house, etching each detail into her mind so she could remember it wherever she ended up.

Jennie and Chaeyoung ran out into the street, letting out some breathy laughs as they headed towards the dock. They managed to slip by without being noticed. It saddened Chaeyoung a little, how easy it was to escape.

It was probably this way because her father never expected her to leave. He would find the note beside his bed table, as he laid down at night with his book, glasses, and cup of tea.

Chaeyoung shook her head of this image. She couldn’t dwell on her father. She’d never be able to leave. She couldn’t sacrifice her freedom due to her sentiments. Chaeyoung pushed onward into the night, tasting the possibility of freedom on her tongue.

~

The dock was still bustling despite it being nightfall; the sun’s final light splattered across the waves, a slight wind jostling the boats and sails. Jennie and Chaeyoung feigned casual looks despite their anxiety; they had both never left the mansion with the intent of not coming back before. They had never experienced freedom. It was intoxicating.

Chaeyoung glanced about the crewmen and deckhands that we’re wandering about the docks, leaving and returning their ships to get supplies from the market down the road. Perhaps she should have thought this through.

She glanced at Jennie, who was most likely thinking the same, considering she had her trademark frown, with her eyebrows furrowed.

“How do we know who’ll take us?” Jennie asked with a curious tone.

Chaeyoung shrugged, trying to shake off her worries.

“We’ll find someone. I want to go look at the water.” Chaeyoung said, waving off her concerns.

Chaeyoung moved towards the end of the dock, drinking in the endless horizon that laid beyond the boats. The dock creaked beneath her. The sun was nearly gone now. She moved closer, drawn to the sea, and didn’t hear the board beneath her break until she was plummeting 20 feet below her into the water.

Her lungs filled with water, and due to her lack of swimming knowledge, every movement she made brought her downward rather than upward. Panic pulsed through her brain, and she frantically kicked her feet and and closed her mouth, not letting any excess water enter.

Chaeyoung told herself to be calm. She couldn’t hear anything but the splashing and thrashing of water as she kicked. She dipped her head up towards the sky. The light above was farther now. It rippled above the water, taunting. Her eyes began to close. Then there was darkness.

~

Little did Chaeyoung know, she had caught the attention of a pirate. Specifically, the captain of the Black Pearl. The captain tossed her hat aside to her first mate, whose pink lips were agape with concern, sprinted to the side of the ship, and expertly dived into the ocean, leaving nothing but a slight, neat splash.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger <3~


	4. the girl with a distraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 4!!! let's go!!!! sorry i disappeared...school. it's over soon for me, don't worry! this chapter's on the longer side, mostly to make up for the time i was away.

Lisa glanced down from the head of the ship; Joy was chatting with the port inspector, making sure that she stayed distracted and unsuspecting as Lisa and Jisoo made their way to the governor’s mansion. Joy would give a hand signal if the conversation died, or if the inspector suspected anything. For now she was twirling her glossy, ink black hair with her fingers. No hand signal yet.

Lisa turned to Jisoo, who was sitting on the steps below her, and began to reiterate the logistics to the plan. That is, until someone caught her eye.

Lisa’s alert eyes flicked to the market, where she saw a stunning face. A pearl among the wrinkled, sunburned, worn faces of merchants and market-goers. The girl smiled, her eyes wide, absorbing everything in around her. Lisa felt a small breath escape her.

She turned, engrossed, looking at a stall selling knots and rope. She bent down, politely speaking with the aged woman sitting on a bamboo mat, nodding and smiling. A girl with dark hair stood behind her, hands folded patiently, waiting for their conversation to end. The girl Lisa was watching bowed her head to the woman and stood, signaling the end of the conversation, smiling at the girl she was with. The two girls wove through the threads of people at the market. 

The girl made her way along the dock, her eyes drawn to the water. Her friend trailed behind, keeping her eyes on the ships. Lisa smiled fondly; she, more than anyone, could relate to that feeling. The feeling of the ocean drawing you in, the wind kissing your face, the salty air swelling in your throat. The girl’s dark brown hair blew behind her. She walked closer to the edge of the dock. She wore a casual yet stunning gown that blew against the wind, swirling around her feet.

Lisa was entranced.

She blinked, and she was gone. Lisa moved from her position on the head, squinting. 

“Did you see that?” Jisoo asked, standing. 

Lisa gave her a worried look, trotting over to the quarterdeck. She put her hand on her hat, the breeze nearly pushing it off her head. There was a splash, and a burst of white foam from the water. Lisa threw her hat on the boards, a few inches away from where Yeri was scrubbing. Yeri jumped. 

Jisoo gasped, holding a hand to her chest. 

“Did she just…” Jisoo trailed off as Lisa wriggled out of her jacket. 

“Lisa!” Jisoo cried, watching in shock as she watched her best friend plunge off the side of the boat in a hurried dive. 

Jisoo and the rest of the crew scrambled over to the side of the deck, their worry for Lisa and the mysterious girl palpable as they murmured and whispered. Jisoo gripped the railing, silently praying. She saw Lisa’s soaked head bob up from the water, and she sighed a little. 

Lisa swam over to where the splash was, glancing down to see the girl 20 feet below her, slowly drifting to the bottom. Just my luck, Lisa huffed to herself, This girl can’t swim. Lisa inhaled a gasp of air, turning downward and spreading her legs and arms as she drifted towards her. She reached her hands out, a few feet away from the girl now. 

The girl’s hair spread around her in the water, a few strands brushing Lisa’s face. The girl’s pastel gown spread throughout, the folds of it blurring Lisa’s vision.

Lisa paddled, bubbles swirling around her, finally making contact with her. She squeezed the fabric of the girl’s sleeve, heaving upward and holding her by the armpits. She kicked her legs, propelling her towards the surface. She could feel her chest begin to tighten due to a lack of air, and thankfully she broke through the ripples of water as her lungs were about to burst.  
She wheezed, lifting the girl’s head above the water. She continued to kick, moving slowly, but surely, towards the ship again. 

Lisa could hear clapping, and she cocked her head upwards to see Jisoo and her crew clapping vigorously and whooping. Some threw their hats and rags in the air, causing Lisa to breathily laugh as she made her way towards her ship. 

Jisoo and the crew hoisted down a wooden boat, reserved for emergencies, tugging on the ropes as it slowly inched down to the water. Lisa swam over and clambered in, carefully placing the girl on the seat of the boat as she plopped down. The crew heaved and pulled, the boat wobbling as it inched towards the top of the Black Pearl. As the boat clacked against the railing, Lisa slowly stood and swung the girl into her arms, her long legs dangling over Lisa’s arms. 

Lisa was shivering from the cold water clinging to her skin and hair, but she triumphantly smiled, her crew members and Jisoo giving her a clap on the back and sighs of relief, before turning to the unconscious girl resting on the deck. Lisa knelt down, unsure of what to do. She glanced up at Jisoo, who shrugged. 

Lisa peered down at the girl, and saw that her chest hardly rose and fell as she breathed. Lisa held her ear to her mouth. She could feel her breathing, but feebly. 

One of the girls in Lisa’s crew, Heejin, stepped forward. She pulled a few dark strands of hair away from her face, and squinted at the girl. 

“Forgive me if I’m wrong, but her corset could be making it hard for her to breathe.” Heejin suggested, unsure. 

Lisa pondered this. The girl’s dress did look tight, and she could see the corset through it, wrapped around her like a vice. Lisa glanced at Heejin. 

“What should I do? Should I...cut it off?” Lisa asked, feeling her cheeks redden. 

Jisoo rolled her eyes. 

“Lisa, don’t be so bashful now! Just…” Jisoo stopped abruptly as the girl coughed violently.

Lisa jerked back when the girl quickly sat up, squinting as she coughed up salt water. Lisa exhaled softly, grateful she didn’t have to peek through the girl’s dress.

The girl regained her breath, putting a hand on her chest, looking up at the swarm of people surrounding her.  
“Hello.” She said, shyly, suddenly feeling embarrassed. 

Lisa opened her mouth, but the girl interrupted. 

“What happened? What…” The girl glanced around, realizing she was on a ship.

“You fell in the water. I saw you and...I jumped in to save you. You were on the dock, and the boards broke.” Lisa explained, pushing a hand through her salt-soaked hair. 

The girl paused, pondering this, and then nodding as she recollected falling off the dock. 

“Well, thank you.” The girl looked bashful, dipping her head a little.

Lisa smiled, sticking her hand out. 

“My pleasure.”

Lisa took her hand, and felt something within her jolt upon contact. She looked at the girl, taking in every detail, quickly, as not to look creepy. Pouting, plump lips, with dark brown hair clumped at her forehead. Lisa felt the impulse to push her slight bangs to the side. 

Lisa’s crew, feeling awkward, shuffled back to their respective duties, still staring in curiosity at the girl. Visitors on the Black Pearl weren’t a common occurrence, let alone a life or death rescue. 

“Well,” Lisa coughed, averting the girl’s eyes. “If that’s all I can do, uh, would you like me to escort you home?” Lisa offered, ignoring Jisoo’s elbow jabbing into her in protest.

“Home….” The girl repeated, her mind whirring. 

Then, the girl jumped like she had touched a hot flame. Lisa blinked. 

“Actually, I was wondering if I could...become a part of your crew?” The girl gestured to the swell of Lisa’s crew around her, causing each of them to turn towards her again. 

Lisa laughed, but then stopped seeing that she was serious. She scrunched her eyebrows. 

“What?” Jisoo asked, readjusting her hat.

“That’s why I came out to the dock. I was looking to join a ship, any ship, in order to escape…”

Jisoo interjected, as politely as possible.

“If I may,” Jisoo began, clearing her throat. “As humbling as that would be, our ship is already filled to the brim with crewmates. All of them joined us to survive, and, judging by your attire, you’re already set in that aspect. We don’t take people wishing to embark on a leisurely trip.” Jisoo explained, her dark eyes hardening a little despite her considerate smile as it dragged over Chaeyoung’s expensive gown. 

Chaeyoung felt sheepish, especially because she knew she was right. Chaeyoung was about to bow her head, softly thank the girl who had saved her, and leave, until something in her chest twisted. She had been wanting this her whole life. Freedom was right beneath her nose, no, right beneath her tongue, and she was so close to tasting it. Her fingers began to tingle at her side, and she gripped her dress. 

“I may be financially stable, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight.” Chaeyoung offered, her voice building by the end of her sentence. Lisa perked up. 

Before Jisoo could reply, Chaeyoung continued. She wasn’t going to let her, or anyone on the ship, think she was useless. She hadn’t just sat in her mansion and twiddled her thumbs throughout her life. She educated herself on how pirates lived, and how they fought. She had spent hours poring over books, squinting as she absorbed every word possible about the intricate lifestyle of pirates. She had practiced sword-fighting with her father’s instructor, jabbing and poking, from the age of twelve. She had shot countless targets with her pistol. These things that she addressed simply as hobbies to her father, formed her into who she was today. It built her passion for freedom, and it liberated her. It also reminded her of her suffocating position; she needed to escape Port Royal and her life in order to survive. 

She refused to let all of that harvested knowledge go to waste at the time she needed it most. 

“I’ve been trained in marksmanship and sword-fighting. And I’ve done self-driven research that could be valuable to the crew. If that’s what you’re looking for.” Chaeyoung added.

Jisoo raised her eyebrows, taken aback. Clearly, she wasn’t expecting that. Neither was Lisa, who was struggling to keep her mouth from falling agape. Here was this girl, who had almost just drowned, demanding that she be a part of Lisa’s crew. 

“I know I’m being direct, but I’ve been wanting to do this for years.” The girl swung her eyes around the ship, her eyes getting lost in the folds of the black sails above her.

Lisa couldn’t help but follow her gaze.

“Do what? Fall off a dock?” Lisa joked, immediately regretting it once seeing the girl’s serious face. She cursed at herself internally.

The girl shook her head.

“No, be on a ship. A pirate ship.” The girl explained, and everyone in the crew jumped immediately.

They all waved their hands frantically, and Jisoo sliced her hand across her throat in a cutting motion.

Lisa lifted a hand, her smooth composure regained. The crew calmed.

“The only reason why my ship hasn’t been blown out of the water by cannons is because it is believed our ship is anything but that.” Lisa elaborated.

Chaeyoung frowned. The fact that this girl, who seemed to be the same age as her, was the owner of the gallant ship she was currently on baffled her. She glanced at everyone around her, and now saw how they respected her. They had immediately hushed as Lisa spoke, listening intently. The girl held herself with grace and dignity, and her eyes swept across the ship with pride. It fit her. 

“How has no one suspected you? The ship doesn’t exactly blend in with merchant ships.” Chaeyoung inquired. 

“A member of my crew is currently, uh, distracting the port inspector. But that’s not important. Back to the matter of you joining us. I’ll let you, but on a few conditions.” Lisa’s words made Chaeyoung’s breath catch in her throat.

“First, I’d like to know your name, since we’ve carried out this whole conversation without knowing it. Second, no matter your past background, you’ll be a part of my crew serving just like everyone else. Third, you’ll be expected to showcase those skills of yours if conflicts should arise. If any of these conditions aren’t met, I’ll have to let you go at the next port.” Lisa’s tone was serious, and she had put her captain’s hat back on her head, the brim of it giving her eyes a hooded look. 

“I’m...Chaeyoung. And I’ll be sure to follow all of your conditions, gratefully.” Chaeyoung replied eagerly, bowing her head in thanks. 

Chaeyoung excluded her last name, mainly to hide the fact she was the governor's daughter. Something in her wanted to conceal that from the others on the ship, especially Lisa. She didn't need the extra attention, or extra judgement. Besides, she was leaving Port Royal, and leaving her old life behind. In her new life, she wouldn't need the implications of her last name. 

Lisa kept a serious face, but her eyes gleamed and danced. Jisoo caught this. Lisa ignored Chaeyoung's omission of her last name; everyone on the ship had their secrets, something she respected and understood. 

“I’m Lalisa Manoban, but Lisa would be preferable. Or Captain.” Lisa added, jokingly, earning some giggles from her crew.

Chaeyoung’s eyes flicked upwards. Lalisa Manoban. She had heard that name before. She was the pirate that she had heard the gardeners gossiping about all those years ago. This was the girl who had sparked a deeper intrigue for pirates in her?

The crew, after hearing Lisa’s verdict, finally returned to their full attention back to their work, leaving Chaeyoung with Lisa and the girl she still didn’t know.

“I’m Kim Jisoo. Pleased to meet you. I'm Lisa's first mate.” Jisoo said after a moment, flashing her teeth behind her pink smile as she stuck a hand out politely.

"And my caretaker." Lisa added, earning a hearty elbow from her. 

Chaeyoung smiled and shook her hand, grateful for her understanding. She knew she was a bit apprehensive about Lisa’s decision, but Chaeyoung was determined to impress her. 

Jisoo smiled again, her black hair falling over her shoulder, and headed back to the bow.

Chaeyoung stared at Lisa, absorbing her appearance. She was tall and lanky, with light auburn hair spilling out of her hat, still a bit wet from the recent rescue. She had soft cheeks with an impressive jaw, doll-like lips, and expressive eyes. Lisa, unable to break eye contact, opened her mouth to say something, but stopped, not wanting to ruin the silence.

The silence was interrupted by Jisoo’s urgent call.

“Lisa! We have to go!” Jisoo said frantically, pointing at the dock below.

Chaeyoung and Lisa rushed to the railing, peering down at Joy, who was giving the emergency signal to Lisa, gesturing towards the port inspector who was rushing through the market to get reinforcements. Their cover was blown. Lisa’s plan was interrupted. They had to leave. Lisa cursed under her breath, whitening knuckles gripping the railing tightly. 

Chaeyoung felt something in her brain click.

“Wait! My friend Jennie is down on the dock, I can’t….” Chaeyoung began, but Lisa whipped her head around before she could finish.

“She can come, call her up here.” Lisa’s tone had an edge of frustration, contrasting from the cheeriness that had been bubbling in her eyes a moment ago. This unexpected departure was clearly against her plans, Chaeyoung noted.

Chaeyoung scanned the dock, and saw that Jennie was at the edge of the dock, staring down at the water, crestfallen. She must not have seen Chaeyoung resurfacing. 

Chaeyoung cupped her hands around her mouth.

“Jennie! Kim Jennie!” Her voice carried through the wind down to the dock, causing Jennie’s head to jerk upwards.

“Chaeyoung? Why…” Jennie looked relieved, but Chaeyoung was urgent.

“Come up here! I’ll explain everything later!” Chaeyoung pointed to the platform leading to the ship. 

Jennie nodded, not asking questions, and hurried up to the ship. Joy came up as well, giving Jennie a questioning look but ignoring the stranger as there were more urgent matters at the moment.

Lisa ran to the wheel, the wind whipping her hair ferociously. Jisoo slid a draping coat around her shoulders, capitalizing Lisa’s position as a captain. 

The crew effortlessly released the sails, rearranged the ropes, and hoisted the anchor, along with many other tasks Chaeyoung couldn’t identify. Before the port inspector could return, the Black Pearl was making haste towards the horizon, leaving the dock behind them.

Chaeyoung stood beside Jennie, both staring at Port Royal disappearing quicker and quicker in the distance.

“Well, at least we could leave before we could have second thoughts.” Jennie quipped after a moment, breaking the silence.

Chaeyoung smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally, we've made it past the exposition. full steam ahead!


End file.
